138 THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 



nothing had happened. The stomachs of those 

 that I have examined contained the remains of 



insects In 1846 [? 1845], an extraordinary 



flight of Grey Phalaropes visited Plymouth and 

 the neighbouring coasts : they remained about three 

 weeks, and in such numbers were they, that I saw 

 a sailor with an old rusty musket literally filling 

 his pockets with them. On my asking what he 

 intended to do with so many, he cooly told me that 

 they 'made capital pies'' "" {Zoo\. 1859. p. 6377). 

 When the now classical visitation of Phalaropes 

 came, in 1866, of which Mr. J. H. Gurney is the 

 historian, Gatcombe wrote : "The late severe gales 

 have driven an immense number of Grey 

 Phalaropes on the coasts of Devon and Cornwall. 

 A few specimens of both old and young are to be 

 met with almost every autumn, on their return 

 from the breeding places ; but within the last three 

 weeks more than a dozen have been obtained in 

 the neighbourhood of Plymouth alone, and some 

 have been observed on inland pools, swimming 

 among the tame ducks. All the specimens examined 

 by myself were much emaciated, and one 

 specimen still retained many of the red feathers 

 on the breast peculiar to the breeding season " 

 (Zool. 1866. p. 500). Mr. H. Nicholls adds that: 

 " On the 19th of September [1866] a flock of about 

 fifty Phalaropes made their appearance on the 

 Thurleston Ley ... They appear to have been 

 driven on to this coast by the south-easterly winds" 



